The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1887-08-13

brought me to my senses.
Ihad gone over the edge of an old
buffalo run scooped dry by the rush
of summer rains. Hay still for little
while. l must have gone to sleep or
perhaps tainted away. Anyway
when l came to myself again the world
was as still as the grave.
The wind had gone down, as it will
sometimes, suddenly and entirely. The
silence was horrible. l got on my feet,
stiff and benumbed. In all that gray,
still, CHASTITY space there was nothing
to tell east from west, or north from
south. l was lost on the big range.
1t was still enough but the cold was
dangerous. l could not stop. / must
move somewhere. l must make my
self purpose-a purpose to keep my
self alive at least-till daylight came.
l began walking; it did not matter in
what direction. If only my strength
held out till morning strength to
keep off that horrible drowsiness. L
know l stumbled heavily along. Twas
thinking about Molly and her baby; it
all seemed like dull dream.
And then bells began to ring, deep
and soft and far Off l stopped in my
tracks to listen. 1t was the sound of
bells, certain, full and sweet; and l
turned and went blindly on, following
the sound as hound might follow a
scent.
All at once I saw light. 1t wasn't
star; there were no stars. And no.
body lived on the big range, unless
some camper was travelling about, and
campers don't travel in the teeth of a
norther. And this light swung and
wavered, went out entirely for Sec
ond or two, and then burned up again.
And near or far l could not tell, only it
was light and itmoved, and followed
it, And | could hear the bells all the
time.
Then, all at once, another one Of
Molly's Bible verses flashed into my
head; some thing about ''star in the
East that went before them till it came
and stood over the place where the
young child lay"
Well, l wasn't a wise man, or
shouldn't have got in such fix. /
don't think I'm an irreverent kind of a
fellow, either; q man couldn't live
with Molly many years and be that.
Only was looking for young child,
too, and babies-little Oncs-always did
seem to me near enough to Heaven to
make that story about the star reason
able enough. Amy way, there it was,
meant for me or not, and followed it.
More than once l fell, but / always
got up and went on. was talking ia
myself part of the time, hearing my
own voice and thinking it was some
one else's. / lost my sense of time
again, but kept on doggedly; and
then, suddenly, the light flashed
brighter, whirled about in wild sort
of way, and went out entirely.
gave shout and ran forward.
thought / should die if l lost it, AnC
there was standing on wide trail
with sort of square, dark shape
standing up in front in the dimnesS
before me, with light and voices com
ing out of the chinks, and somehow
there was the door, and my hand OF
the latch, and in another sccond-Oh
it was Molly-Molly with lamp in he
hand, bending over feeding-box mad,
into a cradle, with great armful o
hay and white sheepskin for a c yer
and Madison's wife kneeling on on,
side, and Clsyton's wife on the other
and beyond, with the light flashing il
their great, wondering, shining eyes, ;
pair of astOnished horses. And thel
there came piping cry from the feed
ing-trough, and knew had founC
the baby.
Burned outa Yes, sir. That wa
the last thing; but they had had warn
ing before the fire came down on them
, Jim Clayton had taken the women ant
struck across for the big road and the
took the first shelter they came to,
stable that had been built in the day
when all the California supplies wen
B overland by mule train. When tn
, wind fell he took the lantern and trie'
/ to find cabin that used to stand some
where near, and had been following
him for half an hour.
Oh, yes I'm well fixed now; tire
t thousand head of cattle out on tn
, Gunnison. And Molly spends he
; summers back home, and she and tn
' babies bring back enough Group an
3 catsrrh and bronchitis sore throat
? last them half the next winter. Chrt'
? tine G. Brooks, in N. Y. Independent
Edward Heisler, farmer {
Thomaston, Mass, has two daughter
A fourteen and seventeen years ole